GardenFork – Eclectic DIY

Tag: dishwasher installation

Dishwasher Installation Hooked Up To Cold Or Hot Water?

I often get asked, “Does it make any difference if the water supply line is hooked up to cold water line rather than hot?” To understand this fully, first watch this video on how to install a dishwasher.

If you have to pull out the old machine, watch this video on how to remove a dishwasher.

Are you not sure which water pipe you hooked up the dishwasher to? Or are we just figuring out which water valve we need to connect the dishwasher supply hose to before we start the install. For either one, we need to understand dishwasher soap to grasp the whole picture here.

The new formulations of dishwasher detergent have gotten very good at cleaning dishes, and its now common practice to not rinse the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Yes, knock off the large stuff, but just put them in. Rinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher is a waste of water and your time.

Make sure the dishes face toward the center of the machine. If you have a large pan that needs cleaning, put it face down so the spray jets can do their best cleaning. Plastic items and glasses should go on the top rack. Consumer Reports has found that the detergent pods are the best detergents right now.

Most dishwashers have a water pre-heat function, sometimes it is a feature you can turn on or off, but leave it turned on. Dishwasher detergent, and your dishwasher, work best with very hot water. And when you first turn on your dishwasher, the water in the hot water supply is probably not very hot. The dishwasher pre-heater brings it up to a higher temperature, allowing the detergent to work at its best. The pre-heater supplements the water coming in from the hot water line, don’t think you can hook it up to the cold water line and rely on the pre-heater.

This is why, for dishwashers, its always the hot water supply line.

When doing a dishwasher installation, I have found the existing water supply line hooked up to the wrong pipe. Check under the sink that the dishwasher line is actually hooked up to hot water pipe. If it is not, you will have to switch out the valves under the sink to you can attach the washer line to the hot water pipe. Here’s a good book on basic plumbing that I learned a lot from.

How To Remove A Dishwasher – DIY GF Video

How To Install A Dishwasher – GF Video

September 20, 2015
Custom DIY Dishwasher Install Into Existing Cabinets

I did this custom DIY dishwasher installation so it fit into existing cabinets at a friend’s apartment. There wasn’t a space for a dishwasher in the kitchen and we made a space in a creative way. Maybe we’ll call it an unusual way, actually. If you’d like to see how to connect the electric, water, and drain lines, see my video on how to hook up a dishwasher.

In small kitchens, I often see those narrow dishwashers that you don’t see in most homes. They are common in apartments, and might be good for a tiny house too. Our plan here was to remove one of the cabinets and slide in a small dishwasher.

Before the DIY installation

I call this a custom DIY dishwasher installation is because it wasn’t as simple as removing a kitchen cabinet and sliding in a dishwasher. I had to install a dishwasher into existing kitchen cabinets. The cabinet under the sink was one unit, so I had to be creative in figuring out how to make space for the dishwasher.

I did this by cutting off about 1/3 of the base cabinet. This isn’t your usual install, it was a challenge, but it was fun. Key here was cutting real straight lines, not the easiest thing to do on site. But we did pretty good

I removed the left cabinet door, pulled off the counter and sink. This involved shutting off the water in the kitchen, disconnecting the drain pipe, and the water lines going to the sink. This is always an adventure when climbing under a sink. The shut off valves don’t always work, and once you turn them, they can break. Then you are toast.

Thankfully the shut off valves were fairly new, so turn them off and then don’t look at them.

I cut the lateral supports where we were to slide in the dishwasher, and moved the side of the sink cabinet unit to the right. Basically shortening the width of the sink unit. Some brackets and screws put the cabinet back together.

The tricky part was then I moved the left side wall of the sink unit, I had to make sure the hinges on that wall were level with the hinges they were across from. Somehow this all came together fairly easily. Sometimes I am lucky. Sometimes I am toast. Today no toast.

I slid in the dishwasher, remembering to slide in the feed and drain hoses beforehand, as well as the power cord. There was an outlet behind the stove, so we were good there.

My friend was very happy, and it was fun to do. What do you think?

August 5, 2015
How To Install A Dishwasher – GF Video

Learn how to install a dishwasher with this video I made for you. Installing a dishwasher is not hard, nor is it rocket science. If you have to remove an old dishwashwer, see my video on dishwasher removal. The hardest part might be buying a new dishwasher and then reading the installation instructions.

How to install a dishwasher, the GardenFork way

To remove the old dishwasher, you’ll need a screwdriver, a pliers, and an adjustable wrench. Be sure to turn off the water supply and make sure the power to the dishwasher is turned off or disconnected. Most new dishwashers plug into a wall outlet under the sink, older models may be hard wired.

Hard wired means there is that metal cable attached to the dishwasher or it may be what is called Romex, the vinyl covered electrical wiring. Either way, turn off the circuit breaker that the dishwasher power wire is connected to, then disconnect the power wire. Put wire nuts on the bare wires. If the machine is plugged into a wall outlet, usually under the sink, just unplug it. Simple!

One thing to keep in mind: Have a bowl handy, as when removing the hoses, they may need to be drained. You don’t want dishwasher water draining all over the floor.

If the floor has been tiled after the cabinets and original washer was installed, you may have problems getting the old washer out. The new tile floor is higher than the original floor, so the dishwasher can’t slide out.

Make sure the insulation wrapped around the new machine is intact and goes in neatly, this is key to reducing the noise of the washer.

A common misconception I see is people using teflon tape or pipe sealant on the compression fitting from the water supply line. You should not use tape on that joint. You will need to use teflon tape on the right angle fitting that comes out of the dishwasher. See the photo below for how to hook up the water supply line. Make sure the right angle fitting points toward the back of the dishwasher. Remember that the dishwasher is hooked up to the hot water supply.

It helps to have a friend help when figuring out how to install a dishwasher, and remember, if all else fails, read directions.

December 18, 2012